Metal buckle



' Nov. '12; 1946.

c. R. HENNICKE' 2,4 ,8 0

METAL BUCKLE Filed uarcrf 10, 1943 Patented Nov. 12, 1946 METAL BUCKLE Carl R. Hennicke, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Eastern Malleable Iron Company, Naugatuck, Comm, a corporation of Connecticut Application March 10, 1943, Serial No. 478,624

1 Claim.

This invention relates to strap buckles, and

particularly to a buckle which is stamped from' sheet metal, as for example sheet or strip steel of appropriate thickness.

Buckles of the general type to which the present invention relates are old and well known in the art, and it is also old and well known to stamp them from sheet steel. Ordinarily they comprise a substantially rectangular frame with a cross bar at one edge, which is serrated, and a second cross bar, which is slightly bent along one edge to form a ridge. Each side bar of the buckle has an integral ear, having a hole therein. The tongue or bail of the buckle is also a rectangular member, with the front bar thereof turned toward the serrated edge of the frame, and the rear cross bar of the bail or tongue projects laterally into the openings in the ears of the frame, to provide a pivotal support for the bail or tongue. It is about this rear cross bar that the strap is looped to make the fixed attachment of the strap to the buckle.

All such buckles, however, have a common weakness in that the rear cross bar, which constitutes the hinge pin, is relatively weak, especially at the projecting ends which engage in the ears. In some such buckles part of the metal constituting the rear cross bar is bent over to provide a round surface about which the strap passes, but this provides no adequate reinforcement in strengthening the bar, and particularly the pintle portions thereof.

According to the present invention, the rear edge of the rear cross bar is rolled over throughout its length, thereby substantially reinforcing the bail and providing a trunnion or hinge portion of better shape to engage in the circular holes in the ears, and thus eliminate at negligible cost a heretofore prevalent Weakness.

My invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a web strap buckle embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section in the plane of line IIII of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the bail detached from the buckle frame.

In the drawing 2 designates generally the stamped metal frame of the buckle. The frame comprises a front bar 3, with a serrated edge 4; a rear bar 5, with a pressed up ridge 6, the two bars 3 and 5 being connected by side bars I. The side bars 1 have perpendicular ears 8 thereon, each ear having a hole 9 therein.

The bail or tongue, which is also stamped from sheet metal and designated generally as [0, is of substantially rectangular shape, with a front bar ll having an upstanding strap engaging lip l2.

It has side bars [3 and a rear bar I l. The rear bar projects at each end beyond the side bars, forming trunnions or pintles [5, that engage in the holes 9 of the ears 8 to pivotally mount the tongue or bail on the frame.

According to the present invention, the rear edge of the bar I4 is rolled forwardly upon the bar as indicated at Hi, this rolled edge extending along the full length of the bar, including the trunnions l5. This rolling over of the metal constituting the edge of the bar reinforces the bar, rendering it far more resistant to deformation when the strap is pulled tight. It also provides a better bearing surface on the trunnions, as well as strengthening them so that they do not gouge or scrape the metal around the holes 9 when the tongue pivots in the frame.

This expedient of turning the rear edge of the bar eliminates, without any appreciable manufacturing difiiculty, a weakness that has long been recognized in stamped metal web strap buckles of this general type.

I claim as my invention:

A web strap buckle comprising a frame having a serrated forward edge, ears ext-ending perpendicularly from the frame at each side thereof, the said ears being oppositely disposed and having a recess therein, and a tongue member for the buckle including a front bar with an upstanding lip thereon, side bars, and a rear cross bar longer than the front bar .andprojecting there-beyond on both sides thereof, the said rear bar havin its ends received in the recesses of the said ears, the ends of the rear bar thereby forming trunnions for turnably mounting. the tongue member relatively to the said buckle frame, the said rear bar being adapted to define an anchor for a. strap adapted to be secured by the buckle, the said rear bar being reinforced by being rolled over on itself throughout its entire length, including the said end trunnions thereby being highly resistant to deformation under pressure exerted thereon through the strap during securing of the said strap,

CARL R. HENNICKE. 

